Middletown Students Meet With Astronaut

MIDDLETOWN — Wesley School was decked out in red, white and blue Monday morning, and the decorations weren't leftovers from Veterans Day or Election Day.

The school was dressed up for a special visitor: NASA astronaut Col. L. Blaine Hammond Jr., who piloted the Discovery space shuttle mission that began Sept. 9. He shared his 11-day experience aboard the shuttle with students during a PTO-sponsored visit.

Wearing a blue jumpsuit with zippered pouches, and badges across the chest and sleeves, Hammond immediately got the students' attention when he entered the gymnasium for the start of his daylong visit. He showed slides of the trip, on which he traveled 46 million miles, and then a film showing the science and the fun of being an astronaut.

Hammond told students he dreamed of becoming an astronaut when he was in elementary school. He emphasized the importance of learning and hard work, telling students that the world is competitive and that they would need to do their best.

Colleen Dunnigan, 10, was impressed enough by Hammond's visit that it left her in a career-planning quandary.

``I think I might want to be an astronaut, if not a veterinarian,'' Colleen, a fifth-grader, said after Hammond's presentation.

Wesley was the only school to have Hammond visit. He was to deliver a lecture Monday night to parents.

Another group of students did get to see Hammond. Last week, middle-schoolers from Portland competed in an essay contest to attend Hammond's visit, too, and the winners were in attendance.

``I always wanted to meet an astronaut,'' said Jeremy Bourret, 13, an eighth-grader from Portland whose essay was chosen. ``We got our pictures taken with him and his autograph.''

The idea to invite an astronaut to Wesley came from PTO member and parent David Sauer, a father of two. Monday, during a reception with school board members, faculty and PTO members, Sauer said he was pretty excited himself.

Hammond found himself in high demand as he walked around the school, posing for photographs in classrooms, surrounded by beaming children.

Students had prepared for Hammond's visit by reading about astronauts and doing assignments related to space. In the third-grade wing, a clothesline was strung up, and crayon drawings of shuttles and astronauts were hung next to assignments about astronauts that students had completed.

Hammond awed the children when he told them the Discovery travels so fast that it orbits the Earth in just 1 1/2 hours.

The floating-upside-down photos drew the most giggles and questions for Hammond, who said that after a while it is no big deal to find yourself standing on the ceiling.

In one picture of the astronauts all suited up, Hammond said they looked more ``like Ninja Turtles with their masks on,'' an observation that brought laughter from the students.

At the end of his presentation, Hammond was presented with a Wesley School banner and pen by Principal James Downey. He held the banner over his head and told the kids to work to their fullest potential.

``You've got a lot of smart people willing to help you be your best,'' Hammond said. ``Whatever you want to do, be your best. It's up to you to work for it.''